TABLE 5-3 Achievement of US AP Calculus and Physics Students Who Participated in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2000 Compared with Average International Scores from 1995

Mathematics

Physics

Average Score

Average Score

US AP calculus students scoring

Norway

581

3, 4, or 5

596

US AP physics students

US AP calculus students

573

scoring 3, 4, or 5

577

France

557

Sweden

573

Russian Federation

542

Russian Federation

545

Switzerland

533

US AP physics students

529

Australia

525

Germany

522

Cyprus

518

Australia

518

Lithuania

516

International Average

501

Greece

513

Cyprus

494

Sweden

512

Latvia

488

Canada

509

Switzerland

488

International Average

501

Greece

486

Italy

474

Canada

485

Czech Republic

469

France

466

Germany

465

Czech Republic

451

United States

442

Austria

435

Austria

436

United States

423

NOTE: Advanced placement scores on a 5-point scale; 3 is considered a passing score by the College Board, the organization that administers the courses, and colleges and universities generally require a score of 3, 4, or 5 to qualify for course credit.

SOURCE: E. J. Gonzalez, K. M. O’Connor, and J. A. Miles. How Well Do Advanced PlacementStudents Perform on the TIMSS Advanced Mathematics and Physics Tests? International Study Center, Lynch School of Education, Boston College, June 2001. Available at: http://www.timss.org.

learning experience for high-performing students.50 These schools immerse students in high-quality science and mathematics education, serve as testing grounds for curricula and materials, provide in-classroom educational opportunities for K–12 teachers, and have the resources and staff for summer programs to introduce students to science and mathematics. One model is the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM), which opened in 1980. NCSSM enrolls juniors and seniors from most of North Carolina’s 100 counties. NCSSM’s unique living and learning experience

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